Air conditioning system



June 8, 1937. N. T. BRANCHE ET AL 2,083,002

I AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM Filed NOV. '21, 1935 viaggi the means 26 and a duct 22 going from the furnace Patented .lune 8, i937 UNITED. STATES OFFICE s AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM Nelson T. lranche,` Toledo, and Francis R. Bichowsky, Ottawa Hills, Ohio, assignors to Surface Combustion Corporation,

Toledo,

3 Claims.

'wwingwarm air system improved processes of con- 1U ditioning air in an existing warm air system; improvement in apparatus for conditioning air in an existing warm air system for both winter and summer applications.

This invention will be better understood and 15 further advantages and objects will be pointed out in the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the single figure of the drawing features of this invention are shown as applied to an exist- 9 0 ing warm air system only shown in part.

Considering thei drawing in greater detail, a system is shown as assembled below an enclosure I in which the air is to be conditioned. The enclosure I0 is normally connected to a warm air 2,-, system comprising a warm air furnace l2 having a suitable heating means i4 and a duct system interconnecting the warm air furnace with the enclosure. This duct system is shown as comprising a duct I6 opening through a side wall I8 enclosure being controllable `by damper to the enclosure by way of a floor 24 of the enclosure, likewise having controlling means 26. Other ducts 28 and 30 connect the system toother portions of the enclosure which may be a single room or a plurality of rooms. The air from the enclosure is normally returned to the Warm air furnace by way of a duct system a portion of which would connect the iioor opening 32 to the .10 return air inlet 34 of the warm air furnace.

This portion of the duct system is not shown because of the connecting of the conditioning apparatus and warm air system together.

The conditioning means is illustrated as being .i'cnclosed in a housing 36. This housing 36 is connected to the return air opening 32 by Way of the duct 38 which is-connected to an opening 46 at the top of the housing and a further opening 4,2 is provided in a portion of the housing allow- .30 ing for a different manner of introducing the air to be conditioned. The conditioning apparatus housing is also connected to the warm air system by a duct 44 connecting the lower part of the conditioning housing with the return air inlet 34 5.', of the warm air furnace. l

(Cl. 18S-15) The air conditioning apparatus includes upper and lower chambers 46 and 48 which are connected together by means of openings D and 52 which latter openings are controlled by hand operated dampers 54 and 56. The chambers 5 are so arranged that when the damper 54 is closed and the damper 56 is open, a substantially U- shaped chamber is provided, the upper portion of the U being in communication with the duct 38 by way of the opening 40 and the filter 58, l0 the lower portion of the U being in communicaf tion with the warm air furnace by way of the duct 44 and a fan 6U. This construction allows the apparatus to be constructed as a unit, requiring only half the floor space normally needed, a l5 single piece of equipment for shipment, anda more readily assembled piece of apparatus from the production standpoint. The system is flexiblev from the standpoint that the damper 54 may be entirely open or entirely closed or partly open with the damper 56 remaining open. Under such circumstances, the air being conditioned may partly by-pass the chambers 46 and 48 by passing directly through the opening 5|) to the fan 60. In summer use the damper 54 will be nor- 25 mally closed andthe damper 56 normally open so that all the air will be treated in the housing 36. This construction is normally arranged so that allof the air entering the housing will pass through the lter 58. In winter operation the damper 56 may be closed and the damper l54 open so that lthe air will pass into the upper chamber through the filter and to the lower chamberby way of the opening 50 and thence into the fan 6I) for passage to the warm air sys- 35 tem. It will readily be appreciated that by the arrangement described a bypass system is provided giving complete control withina unit housing thereby avoiding complicated and unsightly duct systems to provide the same flexibility.

The upper chamber 46 ,is shown as being provided with a plurality of contacting devices which may partake of' any form; however, for the purpose of simplicity being shown as a group of spray contactors 64, 66, and 68. These spray devices are connected by a pipe system 10 to a suitable source of conditioning medium which may be hygroscopic liquid. The fluid 12 from the sprays after contactingthe air which is passed through the chamber'46 will be collected 50 by the sump 'I4 and returned by way of the pipe 16 to a lower sump 18. This connection 16 may also be by way of a direct connection to the pipe which returns the fluid to the source of supply or regeneration. In the lower chamber 48 is 55 positioned a second spray tower comprising a plurality of spray devices 82 connecting to the supply pipe 84 which latter pipe is connected by way of the pipe 86 to a pump 88. This pump is connectdrby Way of the pipe to a sump 92 which/collects the excess uid from thesprays 82. 'I'his latter spray in the lower chamber is preferably of water to humidify the air whereas the upper spray preferably uses a `hygroscopic liquid for the purpose of drying the air. The contactors in the upper chamber may use water and those in the lower chamber may use a hygroscopic liquid or both sets may use a hygroscopic liquid. In these latter connections, however,` the eliminator 94 will be positioned between the contactor 82 and the fan 60 to keep the air stream free of drying agent. Interposed between the two spray chambers is an eliminator 96 of any appropriate type which may collect any droplets of conditioning iiuid which have been entrained in the air stream and will return the same to the dehumidifying system by way of the sump 18'. Appropriate baiiies 96 and 98 may be incorporated for the purpose of directing the air stream with reduced turbulence. a

Although a preferred embodiment of this invention is shown and described, variations within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims are to be included.

What we claim is:

1. An air conditioning system for conditioning lter all the air passing through the system, means in said upper chamber for contacting air with a hygroscopic liquid spray, a fan in said lower.

chamber arranged to eiect the movement of air through said system, means for humidifying the air in said lower chamber, and means controllably interconnecting said chambers whereby airdrawn through .the lter by said fan may pass either directly into the warm air furnace system .or may housing having inlet and outlet openings; upper and lower chambers in said housing; liquid contact devices in said chambers; means for eiecting the contact of the air to be conditioned with a liquid spray in the lower chamber, a iilter in said upper chamber, and means controllably interconnecting said vchambers whereby to form a substantially U shaped air tunnel for contacting the iiltered air or for bypassing the iilteredair back to an enclosure.

3. Air conditioning apparatus comprising a housing having inlet and outlet openings, upper and lower chambers in said housing in communication with said openings, means adjacent the inlet 'opening arranged to lter all the air passing through the housing, means in said chambers for contacting air with a liquid, meansinteriorly of said housing for effecting the movement of air through said housing, and means controllably interconnecting said chambers whereby air drawn through said rst named means may pass through said air and liquid contact and then out of said housing or may pass directly out of the housing.

NELSON T. BRANCHE. FRANCIS R. BICHOWSKY. 

